Monday, July 18, 2011

With all the food channels and food websites, there’s no shortage of food-related awards. But when my food blogging buddy Sandy of Foodhoe’s Foraging suggested we go to the launch party for the 3rd Tasty Awards, I have to admit I mostly went because I didn’t know anything about the awards and wanted to find out for myself. And they promised lots of wine.

The party took place at the SOMA bar 330 Ritch yesterday afternoon. Several tables were set up in the brick-walled space serving up food and wine. The party coincided with the first day of submission for nominees for the 2012 Tastys (or is it Tasties?), but still even after reading the website I’m not really sure how the nomination happens.

I do know that the awards are an odd combination of food and fashion. The awards go to shows where people features things that taste good and then recognizes people with good tastes in fashion and home lifestyles.

The crowd was a mix of food lovers and fashionistas looking good while they downed tastings of cabernets. Sandy and I, along with Sandy’s husband Mr. K, were looking for food. Unfortunately, there were only five booths offering up eats, and two of them were serving chocolates.

So it’s no surprised that the busiest tables was this one serving up Schiltz Foods roasted goose. The guy at the counter did a nice job of carving up the geese (there were more than one), and the goose meat tasted well-seasoned and nicely cooked. I just wished it was warmer.

Mr. K discovered that the goose was taken to another level when sandwiched between a gougere, a puff made from the Bread Project.

I’m always interested in new chocolate makers, and this table featured chocolates by newcomer Chris Kollar of Napa Valley. His Kollar Chocolates include a variety of chocolate bars and truffles.

The party also invited some local food celebrities, who serve as presenters at the Tasty Award program, which takes place in Los Angeles. Among the celebrities was Brian Boitano, the figure skater-turned-Food Network star with his show “What Would Brian Boitano Make?”

Another local celebrity was Chef Tanya Holland of Oakland’s Brown Sugar Kitchen. Sandy is a fan of Chef Holland, so I snapped this picture of a happy Sandy who was standing next to her idol waiting for wine.

It was a fun afternoon of sipping wine and nibbling on tasty food, but I still don’t know if I learned much about the Tasty Awards, especially since there wasn’t really a program or anyone talking about it. But I do know they love to throw a party, and hey, maybe the Tasty Awards are the Golden Globes of food awards? Let’s go with that.